Arthur J. Burks

Arthur Josephus Burks (September 13, 1898 - May 13, 1974) was a fiction writer and American Marine commander. Burks was born in Waterville, Washington, to a farming family. On March 23, 1918, he married Blanche Fidelia Lane in Sacramento, California, and they had four children: Phillip Charles, Wasle Carmen, Arline Mary, and Gladys Lura. He joined the US Marine Corps during World War I and began writing in 1920. Burks began writing spooky fiction in 1924 after being stationed in the Dominican Republic and being inspired by native voodoo rites he'd learnt about from Haitian detainees in a military jail. He withdrew from the Marine Corps in late 1927 and began writing full-time. Because of his prolific production, he became known as one of the "million-word-a-year" men in pulp magazines. He wrote around 800 stories for pulp publications. He was well-known for his ability to develop a tale plot from any household object that was suggested to him. His byline appeared frequently on magazine covers. He primarily wrote in the genres of aviation, detective, adventure, science fiction, sports (most notably boxing), and strange threats. Love and westerns were two genres he refused to appear in.